


Meatballs

by aqua_relle



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Gender-neutral Reader, Implied/Referenced Sex, Self-Insert, Underrated Konoha Akinori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26292829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqua_relle/pseuds/aqua_relle
Summary: The art of cooking has been recurring theme in the Konoha-y/l/n household for years, and it comes up again after his first volleyball loss as a working man.
Relationships: Konoha Akinori/Reader
Kudos: 18





	Meatballs

There’s little difference in cooking with your boyfriend after his first win of the season as a senior in high school and cooking for your husband after his first Ehrgeiz Pharma Volleyball Club loss. There is an obvious contrast in mood and the meals themselves, but the way he looked at you stayed the same.

Konoha Akinori was currently slumped on the couch in those awful flannel pyjamas you hated, a towel around his neck supposed to catch the droplets dripping from his sand coloured hair, currently landing onto the top of your cheap gray futon. You were sure he was probably half asleep, only turning on that baking show you liked as background noise to escape his overactive mind, thinking what he could have done to prevent their opponent’s easy victory.

The first time you ate together after a game, that winning game nevertheless, you cooked and ate so quickly, subconsciously rushing to Konoha's bedroom to celebrate the occasion in the only way two horny teenagers wanted to. You remembered how much better the soy flavour of his favourite food, tatsuta-age chicken, had tasted on his tongue. 

Today when you got home, you intended to make the same crispy delight like you had many times since high school. However, entering the kitchen you realized you had used the rest of the chicken in the fried rice on Tuesday. And now it was Thursday.  
Glad you hadn't informed your husband of your cooking plans in advance, you scanned the fridge, then the freezer hoping to find more chicken breast had magically appeared between your blinks. 

Sigh. You grab a bag from the freezer.

At least you wouldn't have to see Akinori’s little pout of disappointment following a broken promise. One that hadn’t been made in the first place, specifically to avoid having to deal with an irritated AND exhausted Konoha.

After setting everything up and reluctantly checking on your husband, who was still seemingly lost in thought considering how meticulous the cakes presented on the screen had become - meaning he had progressed further into the show’s second season - you grabbed the handle of your favourite pan and turned on the gas.

The meal you were preparing was simple enough, definitely something you’ve eaten from time to time as a student. Both you and Konoha are just settling financially, finally able to start slowly replacing old ratty furniture and wonky appliances, but, in the case of food, old habits die hard. You were never the best cook and stuck mostly to the same dishes throughout the years, out of sheer laziness. 

Konoha cooked much better than you. 

The first time he made valentines chocolates for you (relentless teasing from the Fukurodani VBC ensued) made your heart flutter, 

The first time he made you lunch (made you forget how embarrassed you were about the one you had made him a week prior), 

The first time he force fed you an instant ramen creation (instant noodles with a soft boiled egg and a few leaves of seaweed) at 2am while trying to beat a deadline, 

The first time he cooked for your parents (katsudon: they were impressed, he was frustrated because trying to find all his favourite japanese food brands were hard to find in Canada); 

You remembered it all for the pleasure brought by the different flavours in your mouth, but also the different ways every single one of these dishes echoed “I love you”.

You often tease him:

“I only married you because I know you’ll feed me well y'know!” 

If you’re in public, at a bar with friends, Konoha simply laughs retorting snarkily while taking your hand under the counter and giving it a light squeeze.

If you’re in private, moaned between breaths, trapped between his body and the wall, Konoha will say “you feed me pretty well too babe” before lowering to his knees.

If you’re in private, a whisper in bed before breakfast, Akinori will chuckle, pulling you in for a lingering kiss before getting to work on his specialty fluffy banana pancakes. 

However, the constant, no matter the situation, is the look he gives you despite this teasing. 

CRASH.

Another sigh. 

As you bent down to pick up the larger pieces of the ceramic plate you had knocked over while removing your pan from the heat, you hadn’t heard Konoha enter the kitchen, just noticing him as he bent down in front of you. 

“Are you okay babe?” he asked, his voice still heavy with exhaustion.

Your eyes met his and your little smile crinkled the corner of your eyes slightly. 

“Yeah, sorry I woke you from your nap,” you replied.

“Nah it’s okay, I was watching something.”

“Right, because you can understand The Great Canadian Baking Show without Japanese subtitles.”

He simply snorted in response before rising to grab a broom, handing it to you. Chasing the urge of adding your usual sassy comment about “having to do everything around here”, you took it and swept up the little shards hidden between the beige tiles. 

You rose yourself and noticed Konoha was still standing there facing you. He looked tired and defeated. You stared at him for a minute or so, analyzing his expression. You really cursed yourself for forgetting to buy more ingredients to make the dish that would light him up in an instant, even if you did you wouldn’t be able to make it as good as he does so maybe it’s better this way he won’t be so disappointed that he married a useless spouse like you who can’t do simple things- 

“Want me to set the table?” he finally asked, snapping you out of your self-deprecating thoughts. 

“Thanks,” you replied.

That’s right, tonight isn’t about you, it’s about comforting your beautiful, thoughtful, chef extraordinaire and volleyball nerd of a husband.

You’ve been through these motions many times in your dinner routine with your husband, taking a spoon from the drawer behind you, serving the teriyaki covered meatballs, rice and broccoli on the plates, and heading to an already set table, Konoha waiting patiently his lips curved into a little smile as you put his plate in front of him and sat down.

When you looked up, your eyes met again, but this time he seemed to be burning this moment into his memory, looking at you just as intensely as when you had bitten into a piece of the tatsu-age chicken you had cooked together after that satisfying win 5 years ago. However, his expression had grown softer; his face was relaxed having let go of all the tension he’s been holding in since the referee blew the whistle for the last time that night. You felt nothing, but pure l love radiating from him. 

You suppose some things just aren’t meant to change.

You reached out to put your hand on his. He chuckled and interlaced your fingers. 

“What’s on your mind?” 

“You Akinori,” you answered, voice full of adoration, “You know I love you right?”

His narrow eyes widened a little upon this unexpected declaration, before narrowing them again a smirk slowly forming.

“You love me or my cooking?” he retorted.

You couldn’t help, but laugh at the mention of your stupid little inside joke. Akinori laughed with you.

“Seriously though,” he started, “I love you too y/n. Thank you for dinner.”

He squeezed your hand slightly. It was your turn to be taken by surprise, his attention reminding you that Akinori has lost before, he will get over it, no matter what is on the table.

That and the fact that you could feel his unconditional love in every word he spoke to you.

You didn’t stay stunned for much longer as he followed with:

“Even if these meatballs turn out to taste like shit.”

Feigning offense, you rip your hand away from your husband and cross your arms.

“When did you regain all this energy to insult me?” you retaliate, “If you blame me for your food getting cold too, I won’t forgive you so easily.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he winked at you while picking up his chopsticks. 

“You better,” you reply, mirroring his action.

You closed your eyes and clasped your hands together. You smiled wide before both you and your husband, Konoha Akinori and y/n, winners and, sometimes, losers, say with nothing but love in your voices:

“Thank you for the meal.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is super self-indulgent, but enjoy it anyways! Konoha is so underrated and I really just wanted more content lol.


End file.
